Sunday, February 02, 2014

HDI Group of Companies Indonesia plans to conduct a second
set of clinical trials this year of its propolis honey-based treatment for dengue
hemorrhagic fever in a government-run hospital in Jakarta.

The firm said the plan was the result of the success of its
trials on 50 dengue fever patients at Persahabatan Hospital in East Jakarta
three years ago.

“We want to help the government and the people because
Indonesia always has to face the outbreak of this disease every single year. We
are hoping that what we do today can save lives in the future and help speed up
the recovery of patients,” HDI senior business and product development director
Alva Paloma said.

She said the second trial would be conducted throughout 2014
and the company aims to publish the results by the end of the year.

“We also hope to conduct more trials in more state hospitals
in other cities in the future,” she said, while declining to reveal which
hospital the company was working with as both parties wanted the clinical tests
to remain confidential.

The firm collaborated with Persahabatan Hospital in 2010 to
carry out clinical tests of the propolis honey-based product on adult dengue
patients with less than 100,000 thrombocytes, who had no kidney, heart or other
diseases, and who had yet to enter Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS).

Propolis is a resinous substance that bees produce from tree
sap, buds and other botanical sources and is the focus of much biomedical
research.

By giving the patients 300 milligrams of propolis honey
extract daily, they showed improvements in between two and four days, with an
increased number of thrombocytes and reduced temperatures…